We are all in this together

A previously unknown strain of Coronavirus has appeared in the city of Wuhan in China, and seems to be spreading rapidly. It is known to have killed over 1,300 people so far. While the medical world is trying to learn how this particular virus works, how it spreads, and how to defeat it medically, the rest of us could also be learning from this outbreak: about what it means for humanity, and how the world should be organised, to be better prepared for unforeseen problems such as this.

One thing this outbreak apparently confirms is that mankind is biologically – and therefore essentially – one. Each type of virus is species-specific. A virus has a complex life-cycle, and generally can only function within creatures of one species. Occasionally, a virus does successfully transfer into another species, as happened here, but in most cases that jump is simply impossible – the virus cannot function. So the rapid spread of this new strain among human beings from various parts of the world confirms what scientists already knew – that, despite superficial differences in hair colour, skin colour and eye colour, we are all one species.

This consciousness of all mankind being one, and needing to unite to overcome all our problems and challenges, is central to Bahá’í thinking. Bahá’u’lláh’s Son, Abdu’l-Bahá, wrote an explanatory piece, “The Seven Candles of Unity” on how unity will develop amongst mankind. The “second candle”, He wrote, “is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed.” Combatting the potentially world-wide spread of this new virus is potentially a world undertaking. But have we yet achieved unity of thought in the best way of combatting it? Different governments seem to be adopting different approaches. Are we now seeing signs that we must all work together, as one?

We have also now learned that excessive efforts to control news media, and even personal communication, led to the inability of doctors to even tell other doctors that there was a new virus to fight. Dr Li Wen-Liang and seven other people were forced to sign a statement that they would stop spreading “rumours” of a new disease. Dr Li has unfortunately now died from this virus, at the age of 33. In the eyes of local officials, the lid had to be put on the truth. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “third candle” is “unity in freedom, which will surely come to pass.” One part of freedom has to be the freedom to express oneself (provided, of course, you are not making personal attacks on others).

The rapid spread of the new virus also shows how interconnected we now all are. It transpires that many hundreds of people from outside China were to be found in the city of Wuhan. Within a few weeks, cases of the virus have been confirmed in 28 countries, and suspected in another 12. People with the virus have been unwittingly taking it across the globe. In addition, there are now many cases of factories in various parts of the world which are short of component parts which are normally supplied from China. The extended New Year holiday, intended to slow the spread of the virus, has meant that the parts have not been manufactured or exported.

It is interesting to note that when Bahá’u’lláh wrote to many of the rulers of His time, one of the things which He recommended was that, instead of spending huge amounts on ever-increasing arsenals, governments should spend money on healing the sicknesses of mankind. The coronavirus story is showing us the need to have some form of world government. The World Health Organisation is having to beg governments for several million dollars which it badly needs, to spend on fighting this new, rapidly-spreading outbreak. As is the case with the need to prevent warfare and to restrict climate change, there is a necessity for a world government which will perceive the urgency of the situation, and act upon it.

In some ways, however inadequately, this new world crisis is pushing countries which previously had competing interests towards sharing information, and co-operating. We are all in this together. As Bahá’u’lláh put it: “This earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

Building peace after war

The Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the largest countries in Africa, has also had one of the unhappiest experiences in the last twenty years. Between 1998 and 2003, armies from nine other countries supported one side or the other in the second civil war, which caused the deaths of over five million people. The centre and east of the country are still unstable now. For a number of reasons, central government has been largely unable to achieve any progress. However, this is a country in which the Bahá’í community has gone from strength to strength. One of the most fundamental Bahá’í principles is the oneness of all mankind, transcending nationality, race, tribe, gender, language, religious affiliation and similar divisions. The Bahá’ís of the Congo have recently begun to organise meetings between representatives of the different villages and tribes, to see if they can replace hatred and distrust with co-operation and friendship. The biggest such meeting, in Kekenge, was broadcast live on local radio. Chiefs from about sixty villages in Kasai province, in the centre of the country, came together to discuss how to move forward, based on the Bahá’í principle of the oneness of humanity.

The Bahá’í thesis is that all human beings are essentially one family. This needs to be accepted as a starting point, together with the idea of moving forward spiritually, socially and economically. One of Bahá’u’lláh’s prayers begins: “O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household… Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home…” The gathering in Kasai province was over three days, during which understanding could begin to develop between the chiefs of hostile villages, which were at war with one another only a year ago.

The Bahá’í community does not believe that announcing lofty principles will necessarily, by itself, turn the world into a paradise. Various types of action are required, at various levels . Effort goes into building up the Bahá’í community itself, which now consists of several million people from widely different cultural, racial and religious backgrounds. By this very example, Bahá’ís are changing people’s concept of what is possible. Lambert Kashama, a leading administrative official in Kasai province, described what drew him to this conference: “During the period of tribal conflict that Kakenge and its surroundings experienced, I would see Baha’is from the two opposing tribes working together and coming to consult with me about what was to be done to restore peace. This is why I have come here today to understand more about these teachings.”

Bahá’ís also put effort into what are termed the “discourses in society” – discussion with interested parties on various issues. Bahá’ís try to contribute in discussions with government departments, inter-faith meetings, and especially global conferences, in the hope of influencing the thinking of policy-makers towards ideas of unity. The meetings with chiefs and others in rural parts of the (DR) Congo take this line of action to the grass roots, by talking to those literally on the front line.

It seems as if this approach, based on replacing people’s prejudices with a wider vision and higher principles, has worked. Jean-Baptiste Shamba, who is chief of the Nkinda Katenge village, decided at the conference that as soon as he returned to his community, he would gather every person whom he had previously seen as an enemy in order to make peace and seek mutual pardon. “Following these teachings,” he said at the conference, “I will reconcile the rancour that I have with my brothers. Our conflict was based on ignorance. Henceforth we will speak as friends for the good of our community.”

At another of these meetings, held in Bukavu, in the south of the country, twenty-six chiefs signed a statement which included these words: “We have seen that the world is evolving. We will no longer guide our people in darkness, now that the light has appeared through these teachings, which we shall never forget.”

One of the specific ideas introduced by the Bahá’ís in organising these meetings was that of the equality of the sexes. Many chiefs went back to their villages and called for a meeting of all the women, realising that this half of the population had to be involved if any lasting result were to be achieved. By involving the entire community in each village, there is a very realistic hope that in each region where this process has been set in motion, a lasting peace and prosperity will be built after a terrible war.